The Formula 1 calendar development threadFormula 1

[fps_christian]

I want that French GP. My families summer home is pretty close to Paul Ricard so that would make a much better summer holiday than rainy Belgium. But honestly, I don't think there will be a race in France with their new PM.

 

[Liquid]

I'm getting exhausted for entirely different reasons - the last few races have been totally boring.

Agreed. The development race is over and it's pretty clear now how things are going to end up.

I want that French GP. My families summer home is pretty close to Paul Ricard so that would make a much better summer holiday than rainy Belgium. But honestly, I don't think there will be a race in France with their new PM.

Why wouldn't Hollande want a Grand Prix? Cost?

 

[niky]

No way, not for me. This season has FLOWN by.

Some of us have busy schedules. It's very difficult to fit office work, test drives (I do most photography on Sundays), family time and chores around two hour race schedules that can vary from just after lunch on a Sunday to two in the morning on a Monday.

I'm getting exhausted for entirely different reasons - the last few races have been totally boring.

Blame McLaren for totally dropping the ball. This should have been a tight race, and if they'd gotten even half the points their man and car should have gotten, this would be a three-way dead heat instead of a Red Bull runaway.

 

[RX-7_FD3S]

Why wouldn't Hollande want a Grand Prix? Cost?

Hollande dont want a GP because he's trying to save money everywhere at the moment, however the people behind Paul Ricard already said they didnt need money from the goverment to held the GP. That's why they went to Bernie and officially asked to organize a GP for 2013. It's probably gonna be a one shot things tho.

 

[Peasantslayer]

I don't think that there needs to be more races but there should be a maximum of one weekend between races. It's disappointing when you have 2 races in a row and then nothing for a month.

 

[prisonermonkeys]

Some estimates from Austin suggest that up to 40% of visitors to the United States Grand Prix have come from Mexico. Between that, the rise in popularity of Sergio Perez (plus his McLaren deal) and talk that Esteban Gutierrez will join Sauber next year, it seems a revived Mexican Grand Prix is an inevitability. Ever since he was booted out of his management position at CotA, Tavo Hellmund has talked up the idea of a Mexican race, and the Slims have looked at getting involved. I've heard speculation that a race in Mexico could not just smash every single attendance record the sport has seen, but make Silverstone look like Abu Dhabi with predictions of up to 250,000 spectators in attendance.

 

[prisonermonkeys]

Carlos Slim was reportedly spotted talking to Hermann Tilke and two of Tilke's engineers during the Austin weekend.

Bernie was also quoted on Sky saying that America could have up to three races in the next three years.

 

[astrosdude91]

I can attest to the popularity of Perez. There were soooo many Sergio fans at the race. He was a big deal.

If Gutierrez get's the second Sauber seat, then next year's crowd is gonna be wild!!!!! F1 would be a much bigger deal south of the boarder than it is here. A race in Mexico would make sense. More so than New Jersey.

 

[prisonermonkeys]

Joe Saward reckons a five-year deal has been agreed to between Carlos Slim, the Mexican government and Bernie, though the venue remains to be seen:

http://joesaward.wordpress.com/2012/11/20/a-mexican-standoff/

With Slim being the richest man in the world and HRT being up for sale, I wonder if Slim would consider buying it so that there is a Mexican team in the sport as well. Okay, so HRT isn't exactly a golden goose, but if anyone has the money to turn it around, it's Carlos Slim ...

 

[Centura]

Carlos Slim was reportedly spotted talking to Hermann Tilke and two of Tilke's engineers during the Austin weekend.

Ted Kravitz pointed it out during his Qualifying Notebook, but I think he said it was Carlos Slim Junior.

 

[Northstar]

I'll believe it when they break ground, seems like every other month some new country has a contract that winds up being nothing.

Although I do hope they return to Mexico.

 

[prisonermonkeys]

I do hope they return to Mexico.

It seems inevitable. It is estimated that as many as 40% of the spectators at the US GP were from Mexico.

 

[Liquid]

I'm assuming that if they do, they'll build a new track.

Or would Mr. Slim spend millions of telecom peso renovating at the Rodriguez Raceway?

 

[prisonermonkeys]

It's kind of a case of six of one, and half a dozen of the other. Hermanos Rodriguez would need to be repaved, the pits rebuilt, the drainage around the circuit improved, and parts of the circuit reprofiled so that the cars could take the Peraltada safely. They might be able to get it done for 2014, but in the end, it might end up costing about the same as building an entirely new circuit, with the only difference being that they could have it a year earlier.

If I were them, I'd just rebuild Hermanos Rodriguez from the ground up somewhere else.

 

[prisonermonkeys]

Rio has been tipped to make a bid for the Brazilian Grand Prix in 2014 (link in Portuguese):

www.totalrace.com.br/blog/blogdoico/2012/11/21/acorda-sao-paulo/

Though where they would hold the race is beyond me - Jacarepagua has been demolished to make way for the Olympic Precinct.

 

[Liquid]

I'd rather they stay at Interlagos. It's one of the few 'classics' which still produces great racing left.

 

[Northstar]

I wouldn't be shocked if that Rio thing is just Bernie trying to get Interlagos to upgrade their facilities.

 

[prisonermonkeys]

I was under the impression Interlagos had already made plans to do exactly that, moving the pits and paddock from their current position to Reta Oposta so that they could accomodate more series like Formula 1 and the WEC.

 

[Northstar]

I was under the impression Interlagos had already made plans to do exactly that, moving the pits and paddock from their current position to Reta Oposta so that they could accomodate more series like Formula 1 and the WEC.

It very well could be, I got it off Speed that Bernie wanted them to upgrade and it wouldn't be the first time they were behind the pack when it comes to news.

 

[Centura]

It was mentioned last year during the Brazilian Grand Prix that they are going to move the pits to the straight between Turn 3 and 4, but I don't remember which year it will be ready.

 

[Dan_]

I wouldn't be shocked if that Rio thing is just Bernie trying to get Interlagos to upgrade their facilities.

It is, after speculations on Rio bidding for the Brazilian GP the elect-mayor already has initiated talks to Mr. Ecclestone in order to provide the necessary changes and bring Interlagos to this century.

If he starts his term at the prefecture with a loss of the grand prix his popularity will collapse instantly. Not going to happen.

 

[prisonermonkeys]

Bernie Ecclestone isn't in the business of propping up local government official.

 

[prisonermonkeys]

The revival of the French Grand Prix has reportedly fallen through. However, the Istanbul Park has a new promoter, and he is working on bringing the Turkish Grand Prix back to life:

http://www.crash.net/f1/news/186608/1/businessman_seeks_turkish_gp_return.html

He's also smart enough to recognise that the circuit needs to host other categories, like DTM.

I guess we'll know for sure in the next few days - the final calendar for the 2012 season was released on 7 December 2011, so I'm guessing that the final version of the 2013 calendar will come out in the next week or two.

Also, Sebastian Vettel thinks it is strange that Austria doesn't have its own race:

http://www.f1sa.com/index.php?optio...e-grand-prix-in-austria&catid=1:f1&Itemid=157

He'll have to convince Dietrich Mateschitz to bring it back, though.

 

[ZEROX]

Singapore billionare planning new F1-esque circuit in Malaysia. Lol.
Well, we may have some testing conduct there but i would never hope it to replace Sepang race track.

Sauce

 

[Silver-Sylph]

Formula One will eventually only be ran on Herman Tilke tracks with no originality whatsoever.

 

[Centura]

Formula One will eventually only be ran on Herman Tilke tracks with no originality whatsoever.

I can't imagine Formula One leaving Monaco.

 

[Liquid]

I wish it would. It's a terrible race track, which would never be commissioned today.

 

[Centura]

I wish it would. It's a terrible race track, which would never be commissioned today.

Yes, it's a terrible race track, but I still love it and it's very special, in my opinion.

 

[Samus]

They won't leave Monaco as long as the place is rolling in money.

 

[Sanji Himura]

They won't leave Monaco as long as the place is rolling in money.

I agree. They would never leave Monaco as long as there is money to be made there.

I also think that there will never be a Mexican Grand Prix as long as there is a potential US audience to be gained with the United States Grand Prix sitting right there in Austin. I think that someone brought up that up to 40% of attendees of this year's USGP race were from Mexico, if you take away that slice of the pie, there is three fifths of the fans that attended came from the US and other places, and that is a good start for the new track.

Regardless, Bernie made a stroke of genius this past season, and I hope it continues.